STAND. COM. REP. NO.978-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: H.C.R. No. 114
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 114 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO OFFER COVERAGE FOR BIOLOGICALLY BASED PSYCHIATRIC AND ADDICTION DISORDERS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to offer coverage for biologically based psychiatric and addiction disorders.
Your Committee circulated a proposed H.D. 1 during the public hearing. The proposed H.D. 1:
(1) Amends the title to read: "REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS, TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR LAWFUL NON-IMMIGRANTS FROM THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, AND PALAU";
(2) Requests Congress and the Insular Affairs Office to increase Compact of Free Association funding; and
(3) Requests Congress to amend Public Law 104-193 to include that residents of the Freely Associated States residing within the United States be "qualified aliens" to allow otherwise qualified individuals to receive federally funded public benefits.
The Department of Human Services and Na Loio testified in support of this measure.
Your Committee finds that residents of the Freely Associated States living within the United States have "fallen through the cracks" due to federal welfare reform. Otherwise qualified individuals do not qualify for federal assistance because they are not residents of the United States, but neither are they immigrants because of the 1986 Compact of Free Association that allows these individuals to reside in the United States. Additionally, these individuals may qualify for certain state-funded assistance, but the State is not reimbursed by the federal government.
Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by replacing its contents with those of the proposed H.D. 1. This measure has been further amended by:
(1) Expanding the request for assistance to include housing; and
(2) Requesting Congress to explore the possibility of amending Public Law 106-604 to provide further assistance.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 114, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 114, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
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